Barclays Bank

Where? At The Blackheath Standard, of course - there isn't one in Greenwich. There also isn't a Woolwich - any more, now Barclays have bought the company to strip it out and close it down. And the idea of a bank in Trafalgar Road is a distant memory - though actually it only closed - what - last year?

Which all means that when I went into the bank in the middle of yesterday morning - not a traditionally busy time - the queues were stretching out of the door. Dozens of ex-Woolwich customers plus the usual Barclays bunch waited for what is frankly too long.

A "welcomer" prowled the queue, trying to persuade people to use the automated services, but after reading articles in the local paper a week or so ago about people depositing cash and the bank (can't remember which, frankly I don't care) saying they 'never got it,' I for one will only use the autimatic deposit for cheques, never cash. Other people needed foreign money, awkward transactions or just wanted to talk to a human about their finances - though of course they had to bellow across the counter in front of half of Westcombe Park.

Barclays have recently had a branch spruce-up - presumably in anticipation of all the unwilling new customers (there were a lot of grumbles in the queue about being forced to become part of Barclays, and the 'comments book' made an interesting read) but until they start opening a few more counters I can't see that a new paint job is going to make any difference to the amount of time we have to stand looking at it.

So. Who out there is looking forward to getting direct charges for this kind of 'service?'